The Race
by Rocketshipper
Summary: pointless romantic fluff inspired by two AAML fanart pics. Written for my english class ^_^


*Hey, Rocketshipper here.  This is a story I just wrote for my English class.  It was inspired by two AAML fanart pics I found, which is why I think it goes in the Pokemon section.  The story requirements were it had to have an allusion in it and it had to be two pages or less.  -_-.  Needless to say, that's way too short.  This is the directors cut version of the story, before I was forced to edit it and chop out a lot of the dialogue and sensory details.  It still sucks.       

**The Race (director's cut)**

Rocketshipper

            It was a beautiful Saturday morning at the Carlton High School athletics festival.  The sun was shining high in the sky, its golden rays reaching down to warm the black tar of the track that ran around the outside of the football field behind the school.  Sports fans and proud parents filled the bleachers and wandered about the many stands, munching hotdogs and waiting for the next event to begin.  Keith Moon sat on the grass near the starting line, lacing up his new running shows.  He was scheduled to compete in the next event, the three legged race.  He didn't know why the school had such a dorky event; he personally felt that three legged races were only for the little kids, but he would compete anyway, for the sake of his team.  More than anything he wanted his team to win the athletics festival this year.  Keith heard the coach blow the whistle for all the teams to gather and quickly got to his feet and began to walk towards the starting line.  "I wonder who they will pair me up with," he thought to himself as he joined his teammates on the white team.  All of them were wearing matching white T-shirts and blue shorts.  The coach looked down at his roster list.  "Keith Moon?" he asked, not looking up.  "Here" Keith called enthusiastically.  "You're paired up with Shannon Kasumi" he said casually, moving his finger down the list to her name.  Keith was frozen in shock, a shock that was only broken by the loud slightly obnoxious voice of a girl from behind him.  "Well Moon, are you ready to do this race?  This should be a synch".  Keith turned around to face Shannon, a tall skinny girl with large green eyes which seemed to glow.  Her flaming red hair flashed in the right sunlight.  Shannon was known as the snobbiest most stuck up girl in the school, everyone was afraid to cross her path.  Keith was more than a little apprehensive to run the race with her.  If he messed up and was responsible for them losing she would probably kill him in some painful unspeakable fashion, and then brag about it all over school.  The two of them stepped up to the starting line alongside the other teams and the ref tied Keith; right ankle to Shannon's left with a bandanna.  "Let's kick their butts" Shannon yelled enthusiastically, making Keith even more nervous.  "Ready, Set, GO!" called the ref and the teams took off.  Shannon ran extremely fast and Keith had enough of a challenge just keeping pace with her.  The two of them kept neck and neck with the other teams as they all approached the finish line.  "Come on Moon, pick up the pace, we can beat them!".  Shannon ran faster than ever and Keith strained with all his might to keep up.  The two of them pulled ahead by mere inches just as they cut across the red tape marking the finish line.  "We won!!" Shannon shouted, coming to a sudden stop, causing Keith to fall flat on his face, his foot pulling free of the bandanna.  Keith rolled over onto his back, holding his throbbing nose, and looked up at Shannon.  He expected her to laugh or make fun of him, but to his surprise she stuck out her hand to help him up instead.  Keith hesitated for just a second and then took her hand.  Shannon tugged hard on his hand and dragged Keith to his feet.  "You did well Moon.  I didn't expect that.  I've been watching you today.  You seem to be good at this stuff" she said to him, smiling sweetly.  Keith looked down and noticed that she was still holding his hand.  He blushed and quickly looked up.  "So..." she said, sounding a little less arrogant. "I've been watching you and…um…well.  What I'm really trying to ask is…do you have a girlfriend?".  Keith could barely believe what he was hearing, was the most preppy stuck up girl in school asking him out?  "N..no I don't have one…Kasumi"  Keith replied as he looked down at his feet, his face turning red.  She smiled at him, her read hair blowing softly in the breeze "Please call me Shannon, ok?" she asked, "How would you like to go out for Pizza sometime??"  Keith shuffled his feet nervously and looked up at her "I think I'd like that a lot".  "Ok then, how about today after this boring festival is over?  I'll meet you over by the goal post, Moon, and we can walk together".  She replied, finally dropping Keith's hand and turning to go.  "Ok" Keith said enthusiastically ash she began to walk away.  "But one thing before you go."  "What?" she asked, as turning around to face him again.  He smiled and winked at her before replying "Please call me Keith, ok?"

*Next is the edited version that I turned in for a final grade.  I was forced to chop out dialogue and setting description.  That's what happens when you try to tell a coherent story in only two double spaced pages.  -_-;;;.  Not that the uncut version is much better.*   

It was a beautiful Saturday morning at the Carlton High School athletics festival.  Keith Moon sat on the grass near the starting line, lacing up his new running shows.  He was scheduled to compete in the next event, the three legged race.  He didn't really want to run but he would anyway, for the sake of his team.  Keith heard the coach blow the whistle for all the teams to gather and quickly got to his feet and began to walk towards the starting line.  As he joined his fellow team mates he wondered who he would be paired up with.  Keith asked his coach who his partner was, but the coach was too busy talking to another player to respond.  Keith soon received his answer by the loud, slightly obnoxious, voice of a girl from behind him.  Keith turned around to face see behind him a tall skinny girl with large green eyes that seemed to glow.  Her flaming red hair flashed in the bright sunlight, as she flipped her head haughtily.  Keith was suddenly frozen in shock as he recognized her.     

"Yo Moon, are you ready to do this race, partner?" she asked.  "This should be a cinch."  Shannon was known as the snobbiest girl in the school, everyone was afraid to cross her path.  Keith was more than a little apprehensive to run the race with her.  The two of them stepped up to the starting line along side the other teams and the ref tied Keith's right ankle and Shannon's left ankle together.  "Let's kick their butts" Shannon yelled enthusiastically, making Keith even more nervous.  The ref fired the starting pistol and the teams took off.  Shannon ran extremely fast and Keith had to work it to keep pace with her.  The two of them kept neck and neck with the other teams as they all approached the finish line. With the goal in site Shannon ran faster than ever and Keith strained with all his might to keep up.  The two of them pulled ahead by mere inches just as they cut across the red tape marking the finish line.  For a moment everything seemed to move in slow motion and Keith thought he heard music playing, very familiar music, before he fell flat on his face.  Keith rolled over onto his back, holding his throbbing nose, and looked up at Shannon.  He expected her to laugh at him, but to his surprise she stuck out her hand to help him up.  Keith hesitated for just a second and then took her hand.  Shannon tugged hard on his hand and dragged Keith to his feet.  

"You did well Moon.  I didn't expect that.  I've been watching you today.  You seem to be good at this stuff" she said to him, smiling sweetly.  Keith looked down and noticed that she was still holding his hand.  He blushed and quickly looked up.  "So..." she said, sounding a little less arrogant. "I've been watching you and…um…well.  What I'm really trying to ask is…do you have a girlfriend?".  Keith could barely believe what he was hearing, was she actually asking him out?  

"N..no I don't have one…Kasumi"  Keith replied as he looked down at his feet, his face turning red.  She smiled and clasped both of her hands in front of her, letting go of his hand.  Her hair blew softly in the breeze.

"Please call me Shannon, ok?" she asked, "How would you like to go out for Pizza sometime?"  Keith shuffled his feet nervously and looked up at her, but was unable to speak.  "If your answer is yes then meet me after the festival and we will walk together, Moon".  She said as she turned to go.  Keith nodded shyly as she began to walk away but then quickly asked her to wait.  "What is it?" she asked, as she turned  

Calling on all his courage, Keith responded. "One thing before you go".  He smiled and winked at her before continuing "Please call me Keith, ok?"

*There you go.  Wasn't that horrible ^_^;?   Stupid school.  Anyway, the two AAML fan art pics that inspired this story can be found at miyabicnet.hp.infoseek.co.jp/irasuto/color/undoukai.htm  and miyabicnet.hp.infoseek.co.jp/irasuto/color/karimono.htm Very cute pictures.  Story doesn't do them justice.  The allusion I stuck into the edited version, to help fulfill the assignment requirements, was a reference to the movie "Chariots of Fire".  Now its time to go back to evil school work.  Speech class is the class of the devil!!*


End file.
